


There must be a mistake

by youwishpreppy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-09-07 15:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20312116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youwishpreppy/pseuds/youwishpreppy
Summary: When Joaquin gets picked as Archie Andrew's roommate during a school trip, he thinks it won't be too bad. But that's before he realizes they have to share a bed and how affected he is by the half-naked Bulldog sleeping next to him. On top of that, Joaquin's friends keep on teasing him endlessly about his sleeping situation and are convinced that Joaquin and Archie will be the next Southside/Northside couple.





	1. Chapter 1

"Ok calm down for a moment!" The voice of Mrs. Forrester carried through the classroom. She had just announced that the school trip would maybe go a bit different from what her students had expected.

"As I said, you won't pick your roommate yourself. I know you don't like that, but I and also principal Weatherbee think that it benefits the school spirit if we mix things up a little."

She pointed at a big glass jar which was standing on her desk. It contained neatly folded notes, white ones, and green ones.

"We'll have rooms with two beds so you will get paired up. To make sure that we mix the former Southside students and the Riverdale High students, we will draw your names from this jar. We think that's a great way to mingle and get to know each other better."

There was a collective groan, and then the murmuring started again. Joaquin caught Sweet Pea's gaze who rolled his eyes and looked as if he regretted ever setting foot on this part of town. Next to him, Toni was grinning happily, probably hoping that she would get lucky and share a room with her Northside girlfriend. Fangs shrugged when he looked over at Joaquin, apparently not bothered by this.

Joaquin couldn't say that he had a problem with Northsiders in general or that this name drawing thing was a bad idea. The teachers were probably right, and it would help to create some friendships between the Southsiders and the Northsiders. He and his friends had arrived at Riverdale High a month ago, and they still felt like outsiders most of the times. He hadn't gotten into any trouble with the Northsiders though, and some of them even seemed pretty cool, but there was still one thing that made this whole "let's randomly draw your names out of a jar and see what happens" thing pretty inconvenient. Joaquin's ex-boyfriend was in the same class. And so Joaquin was staring at the glass jar with a frown, thinking over and over again:

_"Please don't let it be Kevin! Don't let it be Kevin!"_

He could do without the awkwardness of sharing a bedroom with his ex. They had barely managed to be on speaking terms again and be able to sit at the same table without feeling weird. So Joaquin prayed silently, while the teacher was drawing the names.

He watched as Sweet Pea got paired up with Dilton Doiley, who looked so freaked out at the prospect of sharing a room with the giant Serpent with the anger management problems that it almost made Joaquin laugh. Fangs got with Reggie Mantle. They were both eyeing the other suspiciously, while Toni groaned in frustration when she didn't get Cheryl but instead was sorted with Veronica Lodge.

"Joaquin DeSantos.... and...."

Joaquin held his breath. Part of him was convinced he would get Kevin. He steeled himself for what was to come, but then his teacher's voice announced,

"Archie Andrews."

Joaquin let out the breath he had been holding, and his gaze met Archie's, who was grinning at him and shrugged, as if saying, _"well could have been worse."_

Joaquin definitely agreed with him. Of all the guys here, Archie was probably the best choice. Joaquin already knew him, was almost on friendly terms with him and he knew that Archie was a nice guy and wouldn't give him any shit for being a Serpent or for being gay.

Two days later the whole class met in front of the school and boarded a bus that drove them to their destination: a small hotel from which they could do excursions to several museums. During the bus ride, the different groups were still pretty separated. In the back, the Bulldogs, who were joking around loudly, followed by the other Northsiders in the middle and then at the front of the bus the Southsiders. But once they arrived at the hotel, their teacher made sure to tell them that everyone should join their roommate now. Joaquin grabbed his backpack and walked over to Archie, who greeted him with a clap on the back.

"Hey, roommate. I think we will have fun. I brought my guitar and some cards."

He sounded excited as if what he had just said was the best thing ever. But Joaquin wasn't sure if that was really good news, because he already saw himself trying to sleep while Archie was playing his guitar and singing some lovesick tunes about his ex Veronica. But then again, maybe Joaquin could join him with that and add some lines about his ex too. He almost chuckled aloud at the thought. But Archie was just trying to be nice, and so Joaquin smiled at him.

"Yeah, sounds great."

Everybody was getting ready to see their rooms, and Archie and Joaquin joined them. Archie took a key for a room on the first floor where the boys were located, shouldered his guitar case and his Bulldogs bag and beckoned for Joaquin to follow him.

Their room was the last one on the corridor, next to Fangs and Reggie. Archie opened the door, pushed it open and when stopped in his tracks, making Joaquin bump into him.

"What the..."

He tried to look over Archie's shoulder to see why the Bulldog had stopped walking, wondering what the hell could be shocking enough to cause such a reaction. And then his gaze fell on the single queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.

"There must be a mistake." they both said in unison, and Archie turned to look at Joaquin, and they both nodded their head wildly as if convincing themselves that this could all be cleared up.

Of course, it wasn't that easy. A trip back down to the reception brought them the certainty that it wasn't a mistake at all.

"We only have a limited number of rooms with two single beds. I am sorry, but your teacher was already informed about this, and she said it was no problem."

"Oh.. um yeah sure, it's fine. Thank you."

Archie grabbed their key again and turned to Joaquin with a resigned expression. They went back to their room only to stand in front of the bed and stare at it.

"I mean, it's big enough. It shouldn't be a problem. You stay on your side, and I stay on my side."

Joaquin offered and was answered by a light chuckle from Archie,

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I don't mind sharing a bed with you. Could be worse, you know. I bet Sweet Pea would make sure to take so much space that I would end up sleeping on the floor. So I am lucky I got you."

That broke the awkwardness at least, and both laughed. Archie started to unpack his bag, throwing his things into the closet and then taking out his guitar to begin playing while sitting on his side of the bed.

Joaquin followed his example and put his change of clothes next to Archie's before joining him on the bed. He took his phone to check his group chat with the Serpents, smiling to himself when he read how enraged SP was about that Dilton guy and his nerdy ways. Fangs was more optimistic, saying that at least he and Reggie hadn't tried to kill each other yet and that he was sure that was a sign that they would become best buddies. Toni was still bitter about not being paired up with Cheryl, but she shared with them all that Veronica Lodge had some extremely nice nightgown she wore to bed, which led to an argument about girl's underwear which Joaquin ignored pointedly.

But soon the conversation went back to Joaquin when Toni wanted to know how his room situation was.

_"Why are you so silent J? How is room sharing with the golden boy?"_

_"It's cool. He is just playing guitar."_

_"Is he shirtless? Please tell me he is!"_

It was a typical thing for Fangs to say, and it made Joaquin smile amusedly to himself. He typed a quick reply.

_"Shut the fuck up, bro! No, he is still fully clothed."_

_"What? He has an amazing body, and we all know it. I envy you. But Mantle the Magnificient is hot too. I can't wait for him to strip down."_

Joaquin was already chuckling softly, and then Toni's reply appeared on his phone screen:

_"I second that! Ask him if he will pose for some hot pictures. I'm sure he won't say no."_

Joaquin couldn't help it, he started to laugh loudly, which made Archie look up from his guitar,

"Is my guitar playing so bad?"

He eyed Joaquin curiously and slightly worried. Joaquin quickly shook his head while still laughing.

"No, definitely not bad at all. It's just my Serpent chat."

He looked back down onto his phone where SP was wondering what kind of underwear Dilton was wearing and was about to bet money on the possibility that it were some comic character briefs. Only to hear from Fangs that he thought that would actually be cute. Joaquin was about to type something too, but he was interrupted by Archie's voice:

"What are you guys texting about? How much you hate to be room-sharing with the stupid Northsiders?"

He said it with a smile, and it was obviously meant in a funny way, but it still made Joaquin feel bad, and so he just went with the whole truth,

"Well, maybe Sweet Pea isn't too happy about it, but I think mostly we are ok with it. But we kinda need to find out what underwear Dilton is wearing. Do you know? It would help me win a bet."

Archie raised an eyebrow and chuckled,

"Sorry I can't help you with that. Are there bets on my underwear too?"

"Nope, but Fangs would like some shirtless pictures of you."

"Well, he is with Reggie, right? He will get enough half-naked guy tonight, trust me. Reggie likes to show off his body, and he always sleeps only in boxers."

Archie winked at him mischievously, making Joaquin think that he really liked it when the Bulldog looked so carefree and happy. Joaquin was in a pretty good mood too, after reading his Serpent chat messages and his playful little banter with Archie just now and so he blurted out,

"How do you sleep?"

Archie pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought and then shrugged,

"In boxers."

"Oh, I see. Another jock who likes to show off."

"No! I.. um.. I just get hot when I wear too many clothes. That's all."

Archie finished lamely and averted his gaze, looking down at the guitar in his lap. Joaquin regretted saying anything because Archie looked uncomfortable now. But there was also something else which was making him feel weird. The moment Archie had said he also slept in boxers, Joaquin's mind had provided him with an image of Archie in his underwear and a disturbing thought had crossed his mind.

_"Yeah, and I will get hot if you don't wear enough clothes."_

Joaquin blamed his stupid friends for it because they were talking about how hot Archie's body was and all that stuff. Of course, it made Joaquin think about the boy next to him in ways he probably shouldn't, and now he imagined Archie slowly taking off his shirt and bending over to take off his pants, while Joaquin was watching from their shared bed. It wasn't good at all to think about this!

Joaquin bit his lip and unlocked his phone again to read his new chat messages only to see several texts from Fangs and Toni, all in capital letters.

_"JOAQUIN WHERE ARE YOU? DROOLING ALREADY OVER ARCHIE???"_

_"DID ANDREWS TAKE OFF HIS SHIRT YET???"_

Joaquin didn't find it funny anymore all of a sudden and typed an angry reply,

_"Shut the fuck up! No, he is sitting on our bed in his jeans and shirt and playing the guitar as a good boy does in his free time, and you creeps should stop lusting over him!"_

He was so furious that he didn't even realize his mistake until Sweet Pea texted.

_"On OUR bed??? Bro???"_

_"Wait are you guys sharing a bed?"_

It was too late, Joaquin had fucked up, and he knew it. There was no way to take it back, and so he grudgingly admitted that yes their room only had one bed. Joaquin sighed, knowing full well what was to come now. They always teased each other playfully and Joaquin had been single for a while now and always complained loudly about his lack of guys in his bed, so of course, it all came back around to him now, and his friends wouldn't stop teasing him about it.

_"Ooooh, finally Joaquin's got a guy in his bed again!"_

_"Dammit, bro have fun with Archie "The Body" Andrews!"_

_"I wonder who will be on top."_

Joaquin groaned in frustration and threw his phone onto the bed in exasperation.

Only a short while later, Joaquin found out that Archie stuck to his word and really slept just in his boxers. Totally unbothered by the fact that someone else was in the same room and that person was a very gay boy, he stood in front of the bed and pulled his shirt over his head, making his red hair sticking up from the static. Joaquin had already undressed down to his boxers and a shirt too and watched from the bed, unable to look away. He couldn't help but let his gaze travel down over Archie's chest and those arms and those damn fine abs, which made Joauqin want to trace every single muscle with his tongue.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to command himself to stop. But then he opened his eyes again and was greeted by the sight of Archie only in his boxers. He was slowly walking over to the bed and climbed in next to Joaquin, and Joaquin knew he stood no chance at all. He had joined the endless ranks of boys and girls who were attracted to Archie Andrews, and it was bad, fucking bad.

And what made it even worse was that Archie was a touchy-feely guy who seemed to have no conception of boundaries or personal space and just reached out and patted Joaquin's arm while grinning at him,

"Goodnight, sleep well."

And instead of taking his hand away again immediately, he let it trail down Joaquin's arm, sending a jolt of electricity through Joaquin, which made him shiver slightly.

Finally, Archie let go of Joaquin and lay down, shifting around a bit until he found a comfortable position. Joaquin gulped hard before mumbling a _"goodnight"_ back. He turned onto his side, facing the wall and hoping he could just fall asleep and forget all this for a few hours.

But sleep didn't come easy. It wasn't the hotel bed which was to blame, Joaquin had crashed on too many couches and beds and sometimes just some mattress on the floor to care about his choice of bedding. He usually could sleep anywhere. No, the bed wasn't the problem. The problem was the boy on the other side of the bed, who didn't leave Joaquin's thoughts. He was hyper-aware of Archie lying behind him and heard every soft breath, even imagined he could feel it on his neck.

He could hear soft snores coming from Archie, which sounded adorable and then some groans, which either were caused by a nightmare or by a sexy dream. Joaquin couldn't tell, but the sound made him imagine all kinds of scenarios in which Archie would make those noises which involved both of them naked and their bodies entangled under the blankets.

He couldn't say how long he lay awake, as far away from Archie as possible, but at some time during the night, he managed to fall asleep. But his body betrayed him. Somehow it moved over to Archie's side of the bed while they were sleeping. So when Joaquin woke up he was snuggled comfortably against Archie's side, head resting in the crook of the other boy's neck and one arm thrown over Archie's naked chest.

Joaquin was fully awake in a second rolling over and ending up almost falling out of the bed in his haste to get away from Archie. He was greeted by soft laughter and turned his head to look into Archie's smiling face.

"Shit. I'm so sorry, Archie!"

"Don't be! It's no problem at all. I didn't want to wake you up, and so I just let you sleep like that. You seemed so comfortable."

Joaquin was caught off guard. He had expected Archie to be angry or embarrassed. It took a few seconds until the meaning of Archie's words reached Joaquin's brain. His eyes went wide.

"Um, what? You already were awake?"

"Yeah..."

Archie shrugged, but a slight blush was creeping over his face. Apparently, he had just now realized that it could be interpreted as a bit weird that he hadn't pulled away from the other boy. Joaquin was at a loss of words and just blinked at Archie uncomprehendingly, while the Bulldog sat up and ran a hand through his hair, his gaze traveling from his side of the bed to Joaquin's and back again several times.

"Uh, I'm going to take a shower."

Archie mumbled not looking at Joaquin and quickly got up, grabbing some random clothes out of the closet and almost ran to the small bathroom, letting the door bang shut behind him.

Joaquin stared at the closed door for a long time. His mind was reeling. Why had Archie let him snuggle into his side like that? And why was he embarrassed about it now? If Joaquin didn't know better, he would say it was because Archie had enjoyed it and maybe wasn't as straight as everyone thought.

That thought brought back memories: Kevin mentioning that he always suspected Archie was bi and just hadn't realized it himself. Joaquin catching Archie watching him and Kevin making out on his kitchen table during that party. Archie telling them that they looked so cute together... He had seemed so fascinated by Kevin and Joaquin dating and being affectionate in front of him.

Maybe Joaquin was on to something.


	2. Chapter 2

Joaquin could see the change in Archie throughout the day. At breakfast, he was as far away from Joaquin as possible, and during the bus drive to the museum they were visiting that day, he sat in the back with his Bulldogs, and Joaquin stayed in the front with the Serpents. On the walk to the museum, Archie came a bit closer until he ended up walking in between Joaquin and Betty.

But in the museum, he seemed to lose all his former shyness because suddenly he was standing so close to Joaquin that their arms were touching. He didn't pull away, so Joaquin didn't either.

Once they went back to the hotel to bring their bags to their rooms before dinner, Archie turned to look at Joaquin and said,

"Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for running away from you like that this morning."

"No, it's ok."

"I... just... it wasn't because you're gay or because you're a guy too. Please don't think that."

"I know, Archie. Really, it's ok."

Archie bit his lip and shifted around nervously. Joaquin felt sorry for him. It looked as if the Bulldog was having some sort of crisis. Joaquin was still trying to figure out what to say to Archie to offer him some comfort when the other boy spoke up again,

"I... I thought it felt nice to cuddle with someone again. That's why I didn't wake you up, but I know it was wrong. You were asleep and couldn't do anything about it. I feel like I was taking advantage of you and I am so sorry. And then I realized that you probably think I was panicking because we're both guys and I don't want you to think that… it's not true..."

It was adorable to listen to Archie explain and to see him squirm and scratch his neck in embarrassment, but at the same time, Joaquin felt bad for him. So Archie had been craving some cuddles? Joaquin could relate to that. Ever since he and Kevin decided to break up, he had been missing the feeling of a warm body next to his.

Joaquin put a hand on Archie's shoulder and rubbed it gently with his thumb,

"Don't worry about it. I know that you don't have a problem with me being gay. And you definitely didn't take advantage of me. Hey, let's go to dinner, ok? And maybe, later on, you can get your cards, and we can play some games. Maybe some of the other guys want to join too."

He could see Archie's face light up again, relief written all over it. And it was exactly how Joaquin felt too. They went down to dinner, where Joaquin sat down next to Fangs, thinking it was time again for the usual split up of Northsiders on one side of the room and Southsiders on the other side. Archie Andrews must have had something different in mind because he pulled out the chair next to Joaquin and plopped down on it with a sigh, rubbing his hands,

"Ah! I'm starving!"

Fangs looked at Joaquin with raised eyebrows and a questioning expression on his face. Soon, that was replaced by a knowing smirk, which made Joaquin shift around on his chair nervously. He didn't like the way Fangs was looking so smug, as if he knew something Joaquin didn't. And so he glared at his friend for a moment before he averted his gaze and pointedly ignored the other Serpent for the rest of dinner.

But of course, he could only ignore Fangs for so long because, after dinner, Archie asked Reggie if he wanted to play cards. Reggie told him to come to his room for a night of games, and that made Joaquin trail along after Archie to join Reggie and Fangs in their room.

They all sat down on the carpet between the two beds, and soon, the first round of poker was in full swing. Joaquin caught Fangs watching him and Archie several times, and it unnerved him. But that wasn't even the worst, because after a while Archie went to the bathroom, and when he came back and joined them again he was sitting a lot closer to Joaquin than before, and now their hands were brushing against each other from time to time, making goosebumps appear on Joaquin's skin every time it happened.

He silently cursed himself. _"For real Joaquin? Are you really sitting here losing your cool just because one of those damn Northside jocks is brushing his hand against yours?"_

He felt stupid as if he was one of those giggling, blushing freshman girls who got heart eyes anytime Archie walked past them in the school hallway. He was still trying desperately to get his body to stop reacting to Archie's closeness when his phone buzzed in his jeans pocket, followed by a suspicious cough coming from Fangs' direction. Joaquin looked at his friend and saw him making the little snake fangs gesture with his fingers, indicating that Joaquin should check his phone, he figured.

He took the phone and opened his texts, and of course, there was a message from Fangs.

_"So cute how close the two of you are sitting. Mr. Loverboy doesn't waste any time!"_

Joaquin glared at Fangs and typed a reply,

_"Shut up."_

_"Why? Usually, you would joke with me about something like that. Guess I hit too close to home, huh?"_

A pleased smirk was spreading over Fangs' face, and Joaquin wanted more than anything to grab him and shake him until he stopped looking so damn smug. His phone buzzed again with another message,

_"Joaquin has a CRUSH!"_

Joaquin turned off his phone and shoved it back into his pocket, but that infuriating knowing grin was still on Fangs' face, and Joaquin couldn't focus anymore on his game and made some terrible decisions. In addition, he was suddenly hyper-aware of Archie next to him. Apparently, the Bulldog had moved even closer because now his knee was touching Joaquin's all the time, making him unable to think.

He was glad when the game was over, and Archie announced that he was too tired for another round. But then Archie yawned and stretched, and of course, his arm had to land on Joaquin's shoulder and pull him against Archie's side. It could be interpreted as a friendly gesture, but it could also be more, and the uncertainty was driving Joaquin crazy. But he found himself unable to pull away, his body betraying him once again, and so he stayed in Archie's casual embrace for several long seconds until the Bulldog let go of him again and announced:

"Let's go back to our room."

Joaquin nodded weakly and got up, not even sure anymore whether it was better to be in the same room as Fangs, who was sending him dirty looks all the time, or if it was better to be alone with Archie, where Joaquin would have to keep himself from slamming that stupid Northsider into the next wall and making out with him.

He was stopped by a soft hit against his leg, and when he looked down, Archie was grinning up at him,

"hey, help me up please."

Joaquin really didn't know what was going on or how he had brought himself into this whole mess with Archie Andrews flirting with him or whatever it was he was doing, but he put on a forced and nervous smile and held out his hand for Archie to take and pulled him up.

Archie's hand was warm and squeezed Joaquin's gently, holding it maybe for a little bit too long before he let go and started walking towards the door. Joaquin pushed his hair out of his face and followed him, ignoring Fangs, who was muttering something about "the loverboys leaving so quickly because they want to get into bed together."

Once they were back in their room, Joaquin closed the door behind them and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to regain some composure, but the sudden realization struck him that he really didn't want to be alone with Archie. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to hide how much the Bulldog was affecting him. He feared he would say something or reach out to Archie in a way that couldn't be considered as just something bros did.

Joaquin knew at that moment that he was fucked. This wasn't the normal reaction to sharing a room with someone. Usually you weren't supposed to think about your roommate 24/7 or experience a strange, contradicting feeling of longing for them to get undressed again in front of you, and on the other hand wishing they would just sleep in their jeans and shirt and not show any more skin, so you wouldn't have to be scared that you might start drooling. Joaquin had to be honest with himself. He was developing a crush. And it was happening fast. Or maybe it had already happened without him acknowledging it because the way his heart was racing was very suspicious.

He opened his eyes again and was greeted by Archie standing next to his side of the bed and in the process of getting undressed. He was already in his boxers, and Joaquin watched as his hands went to the hem of his shirt to pull it off too. And then Archie was once again standing in front of Joaquin clad only in boxers.

Joaquin had to bite his lip to keep himself from really drooling. He tried to act as if everything was fine and he was just looking at the pile of clothes on the floor. Not at Archie's lean, muscled body. But he knew he was failing when Archie cleared his throat and said:

"Joaquin?"

"Yeah?"

"Does it bother you that I'm taking off my shirt?"

He looked worried, scanning Joaquin's face for his reaction and it made Joaquin get even more uncomfortable. Archie wasn't just a guy with a hot body, he was also a really kind person who cared about others and wanted to make sure they were ok. One reason more to crush on him.

"I... no, of course not! You can take off your shirt anytime you want!"

"Are you sure? Because you look as if you're really uncomfortable."

Joaquin hated that he was like that anytime he liked a guy. Suddenly he would stutter and say idiotic stuff and stare at them with heart eyes and act not at all like the gang member from the wrong side of the tracks. He had been so soft for Kevin, and now he felt the same damn thing happening again, but this time with Archie.

He felt bad when he saw a shadow cross Archie's face and quickly answered him, blurting out:

"It's just that I can't help looking at you and I know I shouldn't."

"Who says you shouldn't?"

Archie's question caught him off guard. Joaquin stared at him with big eyes, wondering if this was maybe a dream and he would wake up any moment lying next to Archie in their bed, feeling bad for dreaming about his roommate.

But he didn't wake up, and it wasn't a dream, because Joaquin made sure to pinch himself, and he was still standing there staring at Archie. Had Archie just implied that he didn't mind Joaquin looking at his half-naked body? Did he even like it?

He was still contemplating what Archie meant when the other boy took a step towards him and let his gaze travel down Joaquin's body.

"Do you sometimes sleep without a shirt too?"

The question confused Joaquin, and he blinked at Archie in surprise before he managed to whisper,

"Yeah, I do."

"Maybe tonight would be a good night to do that."

Blood was rushing in Joaquin's ears. Archie wanted him to take off his shirt... that could only mean...

Before Joaquin could change his mind, he quickly took his shirt off too, letting it drop to the floor. He saw Archie's gaze wandering over his naked torso but couldn't quite read the expression on the other boy's face. Archie was gnawing on his lower lip, and a slight red tint was visible to his cheeks. He smiled at Joaquin and then turned around to get into the bed.

Joaquin slipped out of his jeans, dressing down until he was only in his boxers too and joined Archie on their bed. He didn't know what to make of this. It had sounded as if Archie was flirting with him. Who the fuck asked if you slept shirtless sometimes and then practically ordered you to take off your shirt?? It sounded like something someone would say in a porn movie for god's sake!

Joaquin sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at Archie curiously,

"I'm not sure I'm reading things the right way..."

He couldn't finish his sentence, because suddenly Archie's lips were pressed against his. Joaquin made a slightly embarrassing noise, a surprised gasp, and a soft moan at the same time but he managed to kiss Archie back, pressing his lips against the other boy's and putting a hand into Archie's red hair, as if making sure that Archie wouldn't just vanish again.

But he hadn't planned anything like that. Instead, the Bulldog wrapped his arms around Joaquin and moved his lips against Joaquin's in a slow kiss. It astounded Joaquin how gentle Archie was. He ran his fingers through the Bulldog's hair and tilted his head a bit to get the perfect kissing angle.

He felt Archie's lips opening and did the same, and then their tongues met in a slow caress, sending sparks through Joaquin's body. After his breakup with Kevin, he had kissed several guys, but none of those kisses could compare to this.

Joaquin hadn't even known the names of some of those guys and the others he had forgotten already. They hadn't mattered. But this mattered. Archie mattered.

They kept on kissing like that, sensual and gentle, exploring each other's mouths slowly. Joaquin couldn't tell when it happened or how, but suddenly he found himself on his back with Archie lying on top of him, still kissing him in that way that made Joaquin's head spin.

His hand in Archie's hair was tugging slightly on the soft strands, and Joaquin was delighted to hear Archie moan softly into his mouth. He let his other hand travel up and down Archie's arm, tracing those hard, lean muscles he had longed to touch ever since they moved into this room together. Or maybe even before that.

Archie pulled away a bit, bracing himself on one arm to push himself up enough so he could look at Joaquin and for a moment Joaquin thought that this was the moment when everything would go to hell and Archie would jump off the bed, freaked out by what they had done.

But none of that happened. Instead, Archie smiled down at him, brown eyes sparkling, and he looked so happy and content that there was no way he could be regretting this.

He just looked at Joaquin with that happy smile on his face, and Joaquin felt a smile tug on the corners of his lips too. He trailed his hand down Archie's neck and over his chest, letting it rest right above Archie's heart, feeling the heavy thump of his heartbeat.

"Archie..."

"You are so beautiful."

Archie's voice sounded full of awe and admiration, making Joaquin's stomach flutter. And then Archie closed the space between them again by leaning down and cupping Joaquin's cheek and then kissing him again. This time, deeper and more intense than before.

They didn't do more than kissing, it was just soft lips against each other, hands in each other's hair or roaming over their upper bodies, but it was one of the most intimate things Joaquin had ever experienced. Archie was kissing him in a way that said more than a thousand words, and it made Joaquin smile into their kisses, his heart beating crazily in his chest.

It was already late at night when they finally pulled apart, both out of breath, ruffled hair and kiss-swollen lips. Joaquin opened his eyes to gaze up at Archie, feeling as if he was already dreaming. He was met by Archie grinning at him,

"Wow. That was amazing."

Joaquin could only nod happily while licking his lips. Archie leaned down to peck his lips once again before rolling off Joaquin and lying down next to him, so close that his arm was still touching Joaquin's.

A thousand thoughts were running through Joaquin's mind, but he was unable to make sense of the chaos that it was. The most prominent thing was still the very fresh memory of Archie's lips on his.

Joaquin sighed softly and turned onto his side, getting comfortable, and he wasn't even surprised when he felt Archie's arm wrap around his waist.

Joaquin smiled to himself, pushing back against Archie, snuggling into his embrace. He put his hand on top of Archie's, interlacing their fingers gently. He heard Archie chuckle softly, and then he pressed a soft kiss onto Joaquin's neck before whispering against his skin,

"Goodnight, sweet dreams."

"Same to you..."

Joaquin hadn't felt this comfortable and safe in a long time. Archie was asleep in seconds, snoring softly into Joaquin's hair, which was incredibly cute. Joaquin smiled to himself, his breathing slowing down and eyes closing as he lay in Archie's arms, listening to the soft sounds of the sleeping boy and feeling his warm body against his back and his strong arms hugging him. And then Joaquin fell asleep too and didn't move a single inch all night, but woke up exactly in the same position the next morning.

He was greeted by a soft murmur from Archie and the feeling of a strong arm tightening around his waist. Joaquin smiled to himself and snuggled into the warm embrace, allowing himself the luxury of being held and even pretend secretly that he was cuddling with a boyfriend because that was how it felt.

He thought back to the night before, to the passionate kisses and the sweet things Archie had said to him. And at that moment, Joaquin realized that he wanted more of that. Not just kisses and touches, but more of Archie in general. He wanted to spend more time with the red-haired boy, wanted to get to know him even better, wanted to visit him at home, meet his dad, go to his football games. Sit next to him in class...

It was all playing out in front of his inner eye like a sappy romance movie. Joaquin took a shuddering breath. It would probably only stay that, a fantasy. Until a few hours ago, Joaquin hadn't even known that Archie was into guys. Or was he even, really? Maybe this was just some bi-curious experiment, and once they got up, Archie would clap his back and call him bro and they would never talk about this again.

Archie stirred behind him and slowly let go of Joaquin to sit up, and when Joaquin did the same, he saw Archie watching him while combing his fingers through his hair.

_"Ok, that's it. He is going to say now that he doesn't know why it happened and that we should just forget it and act as if last night never happened."_

Joaquin thought, dread pooling in his stomach, but Archie started to smile when his gaze met Joaquin's, and he reached out and ran a finger down Joaquin's arm before pulling away again and getting out of bed. He stretched with his back to Joaquin, giving him the chance to let his gaze travel over that glorious body.

"I am going to take a shower, is it ok if I take the bathroom first?"

"Yeah, sure, go on."

Joaquin kept on watching Archie until the bathroom door closed behind him, leaving Joaquin alone in the bedroom, not knowing at all what was going on between them.

He sighed and got up, getting some fresh clothes out of the closet and checking his text messages.

Of course, there were several in the Serpent chat.

_"Why didn't you write in the chat J?? Were you busy with Andrews?"_

_"I'm sure Joaquin won't be able to sit today."_

Joaquin sighed, but he had to admit that his friends had known from the start where this whole room-sharing situation would lead. He ignored their texts, for now, deciding that he could still tell them, or at least Toni, who was the most sensible one of them.

Archie came back from his shower, already dressed, and Joaquin followed his example and took a quick shower too. He couldn't stop thinking about last night and about Archie. The lack of reaction this morning made him anxious. Sure, it was better than Archie having a breakdown because he made out with a guy, but Joaquin just needed to know where they stood... or if last night had meant anything to Archie.

Joaquin got dressed and went back to the bedroom, where Archie was currently striding up and down the room with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He looked at Joaquin, and it was clearly visible that he was nervous too.

For a moment they both just stared at each other, the room suddenly thick with tension. Joaquin caught himself wishing they could just go to breakfast, surround themselves by other people so they wouldn't have to stare at each other in such a helpless and awkward way. But he knew that it was wrong to wish for that.

They had to talk about what had been going on between them before they left the room.

"Archie... we... should... we should talk about..."

"Joaquin I..."

They both said at the same time, and it made them both stop mid-sentence and chuckle a bit awkwardly.

Joaquin gestured for Archie to continue. His heart was racing as he watched Archie gulp and bury his hands even deeper into his jeans pockets. He needed to know what Archie felt about their encounter, needed to know it right now or he would go crazy. He almost jumped when Archie continued,

"ok... so I want you to know that last night wasn't just an experiment for me. I've known for some time that I'm into guys. Even drove out of town several times to go to some gay bars. I mean, I don't have many experiences with guys, but I've kissed several, and that settled it for me that I'm bisexual."

His voice had grown more confident by the end, and now he looked up and directly into Joaquin's eyes, letting out a breath. He looked relieved, and Joaquin wondered if he was the first person who Archie had told this.

"Oh! I didn't know. Does anyone know? It's ok, though, if you aren't ready to come out."

"No, no that's not the problem. I'm not scared to come out. It's just that there wasn't any guy who I wanted to be with and so I didn't really see the need to announce it yet. I don't know. I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I talked to Kev and Jug and also Betty, and they were really cool about it and also said that I should take my time. And I decided that I just want to walk into Pop's with my special boy holding hands and come out that way. Is that stupid?"

"No! Not stupid at all. I think it's a good way to do it."

He offered Archie a soft smile, wanting to show him that he understood and supported him. But on the inside, he was still a nervous wreck because he still didn't know what was going on between them. It hadn't been an experiment, but then what was it? Just some fun? Something that happened in the heat of the moment and could be blamed on teenage hormones and the stupid hotel which didn't have enough bedrooms with two beds?

Archie smiled back at him, his gaze boring into Joaquin's as he began to speak once again,

"So maybe we can go to Pop's together tomorrow when we're back home? Just you and me."

Joaquin blinked at him in surprise. Was Archie asking him out? He was feeling a bit dizzy all of a sudden. It was almost too good to be true, and he only managed to whisper:

"As a date?"

He was balling his hands into fists, his nails digging almost painfully into the skin of his palms as he was waiting for Archie's answer, hoping so much that this was really true. Archie's smile grew bigger, and he nodded slowly,

"As a date, complete with holding hands and stealing each other's fries. And if you get some cream on your lips, I will kiss it away."

He sounded playful and confident, and his smile was so genuine and beautiful that it made Joaquin come to the realization that this was real, no secret hookup, no experiment. Archie Andrews liked him and wanted to go on a date with him, considered Joaquin important enough to be the guy he outed himself to the public for. Joaquin felt the iron grip that had been on his heart loosen and vanish completely. He smiled brightly, unable to hide his happiness and excitement, and his tone was flirty, too, when he answered:

"Oh, in that case, I will make sure to get lots of cream on my lips."

"I hope so!"

They both chuckled, and the former awkwardness was gone completely. They had both moved closer to each other unintentionally, making it easy for Joaquin to just wrap his arms around Archie's waist and hug him tightly. The Bulldog's arms went around him too, and he looked deeply into Joaquin's eyes while surprising him with one last confession.

"I like you, Joaquin. That's what I wanted to tell you with all that."

He sounded so sure about it, and his expression was so heartfelt and open that it could only be the truth. Joaquin decided that he would send a thank you letter to the hotel, and maybe he should also thank their teacher for this whole school trip idea. Out loud, he said:

"You aren't so bad either, Archie Andrews."

He winked at Archie and leaned closer, kissing his cheek and then whispering into his ear,

"I like you too."


End file.
